I don't mind low production values provided that earnest care and effort is applied in their stead. Unfortunately for "Hino Hideshi's theater of horror," the series of six diminutive films barely ever had a chance in the first place to get off the ground as the filmmakers, casts, and crews were given scant opportunity to tell these stories in the manner that served them best. Shiraishi Koji has sadly not fared much better with his contribution, 'Dead girl walking.' The root story boasts strong potential as a girl is declared clinically dead, but somehow her body and mind continue to function normally even as she begins to decompose. There is much to possibly explore with that concept. Right from the start and in various ways, however, Shiraishi embraces an odd mix-and-match of sensibilities: silent film, art film, existentialist student film, stylized horror-comedy, wry humor, surrealism, body horror, zombie flick, and more. The conglomeration isn't specifically bad, but it desperately needed more specific focus; as we see it the film feels regrettably scattered.
Despite that smorgasbord, I actually like this all told. There is a bounty of smart ideas on hand that simply needed more careful consideration at the stage of developing the screenplay. (At least, I assume it's the screenplay; I'm not familiar with Hino's manga but presume it is tighter.) Shiraishi's direction would have unquestionably followed in turn. While some creative choices are more dubious either in and of themselves or in combination with others, there is much to appreciate in these abbreviated forty-odd minutes. It is beautifully shot at some points in its black and white presentation; the hair and makeup work, as applied to star Maeda Ayaka, looks pretty darn good. Maeda gives a commendable performance as beleaguered dead protagonist Yuri, and the supporting cast is just as swell. The practical effects are quite excellent. The somewhat whimsical music is a nice touch to complement the proceedings. In fact, compared to its sister movies, 'Dead girl walking' is rather well made.
Again, however: would that the tiny feature had a more singular, unified vision. It's sort of all over the place, trying to be many different things at different points, and the whole absolutely suffers as a result. It's a good horror picture as it exists, and with a smidgen more mindfulness in its conjuration, it could have been even better. Still, while hardly a must-see, the end product is darkly enjoyable when all is said and done, and sometimes that's all a title needs to be. Definitely don't go out of your way for 'Dead girl walking,' but if you do have the chance to watch and are open to such genre pieces that are far less than perfect, it's a decent enough way to pass some time.
